It’s not looking good! After a hard freeze last night, much of my landscape is showing severe damage! Granted, the only protection I offer is a 6’ fence (for the back yard only, obviously) and irrigation. The only plant I covered was the brown turkey fig that is very cold sensitive, and of course I brought as many pots in as possible. So I was prepared for frost damage, but not necessarily devastation, which is what I found when I inspected the grounds early this AM.My car is proof of the icy blanket that laid rest during the night
The icy covering is easily noticed on the ground cover also
The newly transplanted heliconias are severely damaged, although the vincas are holding their own for now!
The young firebush may be a complete loss. Notice the blackened branch!
Some of the Ti plants are showing frostbite
While other Ti plants look pretty good
The Queen Emma Crinums are showing some signs of cold stress
My precious bananas are lost! I expected this, as I lost them last year too. They sent up new pups, but the harvest was late. I’ll lose 3 bunches still on the stalks this year!
The Carolina Jasmine will not be effected…it’s cold hardy! But even a few of the potted plants on the covered porch are showing some signs of damage!
We’ve got a freeze watch out for this evening. Then it’s supposed to warm up a bit (into the 60’s, if that’s warm for S Florida!) but dip back down into the freezing range for the weekend making it a steep uphill battle for the orange and strawberry farmers! Only time will tell how my plants will fare. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for the warm air to rush back into the region SOON!
4 comments:
Love the windshield photo! Too funny! Leave your firebush. It may not show new growth for two or three months, but it should come back. Mine always have, and I live further north than you. That plant is worth every inch of its space in the garden!
Hi Kimberly,
Wow, I have come across you and Floridagirl ~~ two new Florida blogs ~~ in one week. Welcome. I'm sorry to meet you on such a sour note with all of our gardens scrambling to stay warm this week. Tonight may be our worst night. Many of my plants have gotten bitten but nothing that can't be trimmed when it warms up again. So far though I think my tall standing oak trees have kept away the coldest air. Tomorrow morning may well be hard to handle when I do a look around.
Let's hope for the best.
Meems
I love the windshield photo, too. That speaks volumes! It looks like you're beginning to see the damage done by several cold nights. My angel trumpet, clerodendrons, and pentas are brown and droopy...oh, so sad. We've had frosty mornings, too but the Oak trees are shielding the plants and grass below. Let's hope it ends soon.
About the firebush; being quite the inexperienced gardener last year I hacked it down a bit to look a little less... dead. It kept oozing sap for weeks until it finally rotted away, and I know for a fact that if I left it the way it was everything would have been okay, since its root hardy to zone 8. The dead twigs and leaves would have also provided more cover! Now I know...
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